What determines the wt of the fly rod? For instance, I have two old fiberglass fly rods that have lost their information about the wt the rod is designed for. Is there any way to determine what the rod is designed for, or is it just something that is pulled out of the air? These are not high dollar rods as compared to today’s rods, in fact I just picked them up at a garage sale for a few buck a couple of years ago. I am just curious as to what wt they are designed for. How does length come into play on the rods design and wt rating? Let here from some experts or anybody with an opinion.

The simple answer is that a given weight fly rod is designated that weight because someone at the factory thinks it cast best with that weight line. That doesn't mean that you're necessarily doing anything wrong if you want to use a different weight line on that rod.

That being said, it is also true that a semi-gorilla caster like my self could easily break a 2 weight rod with no more than 20 feet of 6 weight fly line outside the tip. When you know the given line weight of a rod, its best to stay within one line weight of what the mfg says.

I'm 95% sure that those rods you found are somewhere between a 4 and a 9 wt, but that's all i can tell you, except that if its the size of a chapstick tube near the handle, it's no four weight. I you can tell me where you are, I can get you to a shop that would have test lines to try on those rods.

You might have gotten sweetheart rods for a steal, or maybe just a whip. If its a Fenwick, we just might all be jealous.

My guess is that they are broom sticks. One is a Shakespear Wonder Stick tan in color with trade marked spiral markings and is 8'-2" overall length and also says standard taper and ??809 8'-0". Would this be a 9 weight?

Ther other Rod is a sea green color and is 8'-4" overall length and says Custom Built Otasco X15 by Heddon. It is the Broom Stick size.

Both of these rods are in fishable shape but not exactly perfect either. I am just curious about these. I have another rod that is in very good shape I will post about later, maybe even have a picture if it will work.